Dr Eppes and the Gentleman's gentleman
by Ivette Boveda
Summary: In this fluffy fic, Charlie finds himself with a new valet, thanks to a benefactor, whose business he saved. Is a gentleman's gentleman what the doctor ordered for the Eppes?Ch 8: Will Alan's advice, and Horatio's strong drink help Larry?
1. Chapter 1

Charlie nervously sat in the office of the lawyer, who represented the estate of a man named Augustine Boveda,

"Augustine Boveda, in his will, stated thatthe estate would only keep on paying his gentleman's gentleman if he were to work for you" the man said as he shifted through some paperwork.

"What?" Charlie could not believe it. "Why not have him go to one of his kids?"

"They have their own servants and will not contest their father's wishes"

"Wh-Why did he do this?"

"Your work at his company, not only saved it, but doubled the profits." the lawyer reminded him. "And he wanted to thank you somehow."

"So if I refuse the estate won't give him a salary?"

"That is correct"

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A very surprised Charlie returned home.

"So what happened?" Alan asked, wondering if maybe his son had inherited something.

"The Estate of Augustine Boveda is paying for his valet to work for me. I had to accept or they'd leave him out on the street."

"You mean like Jeeves?" Alan asked. He loved the Jeeves and Wooster series of books.

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The new valet, Horatio, came to the house at around eight in the morning. He had been in Boveda's service for three years before his death and had been thankful that the estate would continuing paying his salary. Before working in the states, he had been the gentelman's gentleman for twenty years to an aristocratic family. He rang the doorbell and Charlie answered.

"Good morning, Doctor Eppes" Horatio said.He knew, from hearing conversations that Charlie had been a child prodigy and so was younger than most people with doctorates. "I was given to understand that you required a valet"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

"Well...uh...thank you for coming!" Charlie said lamely. Just then, Alan came in and greeted the valet.

"Charlie! Why don't you uh...give him a tour of the house?" Alan suggested awkardly. He had never made enough money to hire household servants, especially since he had to hire tutors for Charlie.

"Uh...okay." the mathematican said.

88888

"Well, I gotta go!" Charlie said after the tour. He had an eight thirty class.

Horatio asked "When would you like dinner, sir?"

"Actually, my dad does the cooking around here." Charlie said, then shrugged."Maybe you could go shopping for him?"

"Certainly" He had done such duties before his aristocratic boss had gotten married. "Would you like me to take you to work? The estate has given me the use of a BMW for your benefit."

"I prefer to bike, but thanks!"

"Dr. Eppes said that you might need me to go to the market, sir?" he asked Alan, who read in the living room. Decades of work had made getting up early an automatic routine.

"Sure!" Alan assented. He found shopping to be tedious and figured that he could buy the produce himself at the local farmer's market, while Horatio got the rest. "I'll draw up a list. Would you like something to eat?"

"I've already eaten" Horatio began pick up the clean dishes from the washer and took the liberty of rearranging where things went.

Soon, Alan gave him a list, a handful of coupons, and very specific instructions.

"Be sure to get the milk from the back, that's where they keep the ones with the later dates and I want the ribeye with the bone. Don't forget the coupons..." Alan gave him the cash. Don, given the way he was, had done a background check on the servant 'just to be safe'.

Horatio went to the market in a BMW, owned by the estate, for the purpose of driving Charlie around, whenever he required it. He returned with the groceries, the receipt, and the change. Then, he began to put the things away. After some time, Alan announced

"I'm going to skid row to volunteer at the homeless shelter. I'll see you later."

"Would you like me to take you?" Horatio offered "The estate has given me the use of a BMW and we could go on the carpool lane."

"Nah, it's okay" Alan told him. "Thanks for offering!"

After he left, Horatio got to work. He did a through job on the kitchen, dusted, and organized. Then, the man proceeded to fix Charlie's room, a choatic miasma of papers andbooks. Overall, the house sparkled and looked like no one lived in it by the time Alan got back.

"You really outdid yourself, Horatio!" Alan commented when he entered. "I almost felt like I came into the wrong house! Thank you!"

"Would you like me to get you something to drink, sir?"

"Well, a beer would be nice." Alan sat, with a grunt on his easy chair.

"Certainly, sir"

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Horatio was dismissed from duty, by Alan at around four and he settled into the guest room. The next morning, just after his alarm rang, Charlie saw the sevant come in with a tray consisting of scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee.

"Good morning, Sir!" he laid it down on the bed.

"Horatio! You shouldn't have!" Charlie felt like he was imposing on the kindly servant. "I would've come down. Thanks!"

"If you'll excuse me, sir, I need to serve your father his breakfast." The valet excused himself.

Alan was surprised to see Horatio served him breakfast in bed. The only other person who had done this for him was Margaret when he was sick, on father's day, and on his birthday.

"Good morning sir!" the servant greeted him as he put the tray on the bed.

"Good morning!" Alan said. "Smells delicious! Thank you!" he could really get used to this.

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"How are things going with the new valet?" Don asked with a smirk, as the two brothers sat at his desk that afternoon.

"Great! He brought us breakfast in bed this morning, and shopped for dad yesterday."

TBC.


	4. Chapter 4

"Dad finally has help around the house!"

"I help dad around the house!" Charlie said defensively.

"When was the last time you went shopping for dad, or cleaned the house from top to bottom?" Don countered.

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The next afternoon, Alan asked Horatio"Could you take this to Charlie?" The retiree pointed a tuna sandwhich. "He sometimes forgets to eat, and I need to get some errands done."

"If you'd like sir, I could bring your son his food, and do your errands."

"Really?"

"Yes sir"

"Okay! Thanks!" Alan quickly finished making the sandwhich, gave Horatio a couple of lists, told him how to get to Charlie's office,and went golfing. Horatio neatly packed the meal, and went to Cal Sci.

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Charlie returned to his office from a class to see the top of his desk tidied up, and his lunch served.

"You father asked me to bring you this sandwhich, that he prepared for you. I took the liberty to bring you bottled water as well." the servant told him.

"Thanks Horatio!" Charlie hoped that the estate paid the valet well. Just then, Larry came in.

"You must be the famous Horatio!" the physicist said.

"Yes sir."

"Hebrought me lunch from home" Charlie said.

"If you'll excuse me, sir, I need to do some errands for your father"

"Sure." Charlie shrugged.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Horatio returned to the house after finishing the various errands. When Alan returned from golfing, a beer, that had been in the freezer for half an hour, was waiting for him.

"How did your golf game go?"

"Great!" Alan boasted, and went into minute details. Horatio listened with interest and patience.

A while later, Alan began dinner. Thankfully,for him, both of his boys were able to attend.

"Where's the famous Horatio?" Don asked as heopened the refridgerator and got a bottle of his favorite beer. Horatio had thought to buy a good amount.

"He's off for the day" Alan said.

"How are you managing without him?" Don teased.

"Having a valet is everything I thought it would be!" Alan beamed. " Horatio volunteered to do my errands so that I could go golfing!When I returned , he had a beer waiting for me in the freezer!."

"Sounds like heaven!" the agent commented.

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The next morning, Charlie got breakfast in bed. As he ate, Horatio laid out some clothes for him.

"You don't need to do that Horatio!" the professor insisted, and noticed what Horatio had put on a chair. " I don't wear suits to work"

"Hmm..." Horatio's tone, and facial expression showed disaproval. "As you wish."

Suddenly, the phone rang, and Horatio answered it.

"It's Dr. Fleinheart, sir." the valet put his hand on the mouth piece."Says its urgent"

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: this is a fluffy, humor fic, so the valet isn't a psychopath or anything like that. I partlygot inspired by the T.V mini series "Jeeves and Wooster".

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"Laurell's is pregnant!" Larry said in a panicy voice. Despite the initial snags, they had become a couple.

"What?"

"She finds my colgne sickening this morning and I saw a bunch of baby clothes in her study!" he said.

"Larry" Charlie tried to calm his friend down. "You sometimes overdo it on the cologne, and those clothes could be for a friend'sbaby shower."

"but...!"

"Larry, has she told you that she's pregnant?"

"No..but the evidence..."

"Why don't you talk to dad?" Charlie suggested. "He has experiance with this stuff"

"I don't know..."

"He'll be here, at the house,until one today."

"I suppose picking his expertise can't hurt" Larry admitted.

"You can come right after your seminar ends." Charlie said.

"Have Horatio prepare a strong drink for me, just in case." the professor said tenatively.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Around ten, Larry came to the house, to talk to Alan, who had been doing crosswords

"I was...wondering if I could pick at your expertise..." the physicist said with a twitch.

"Of course, Larry!" Alan said gently, as he sat back down, and gestured for the physicist to do the same.

"Well, Laurell found my colonge sickening this morning..." Larry began tenatively. "And I couldn't help but think...you know..."

"Well..." Alan wanted to be gentle. A part of him felt that Laurell could be expecting. Margaret had a similar reaction to cologne when she was pregnant with each of the boys. "Do you usually use that cologne?"

"I use it often enough." Larry said after some thought.

"All I can tell you is to that the best thing to do would be to take a home pregnancy test"

"I don' t know if I can bear it..." Larry said.

"You should be glad that you've got that option!"Alan told him. "Back in the day,my wifeand I had to wait a week before the doctor could tell us."

Instead of answering him, Larry just sat down in petrified thought. He worried about whether he could make a good father, especially at his age. He would be Alan's age when the child was a teenager!

The retiree understood how Larry felt. He had gone through the same thing when Margaret told him that she was pregnant with Don.

"Perhaps a strong drink is in order?" Horatio suggested. He had been doing errands, and other things in the house.

"It is VERY much in order" Larry said tenatively, and with much anxiety.

"If you'll excuse me sir,I shall prepare it" Horatio went to get the drink.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Larry gulped his drink the minute Horatio brought it in. This took Alan aback, or at least the sight of it did. He too had wanted a strong drink when Margaret had told him that she was pregant.

"Would you like a drink as well, sir?" Horatio asked Alan.

Alan shook his head."It's a little early for me, thanks"

"Could I have another one?" Larry asked. He still felt a bit nervous and anxioius.

"Certainly sir" Horatio, got the glass from the physicist, and went to get more. Alan hoped that Larry didn't have classes to teach anytime soon.

"Wormholes are big responsibilites!" Larry murmured worridly

Alan asked with a puzzled look."Wormholes?"

"Children" Larry explained. "See, I always thought of children as wormholes, linking the past and present"

"Oh..." Alan nodded. "That makes sense."

"Do you think I'd make a good father?" Larry asked. This worried him a lot. Did he have what it took?

"Yes I do,Larry" Alan had noticed over time, that Larry was kind, and had a lot of wisdom in him.

Horatio returned with a second drink. As the two men sat in silence, Don went to see Charlie at his office, needing help on a case.

"Hey! Where's Larry?" Don asked. He was used to seeing him there.

"With Dad, they're talking." Charlie said. "Larry thinks his girlfriend might be pregant"

"Does he!" Don smiled at the idea of Larry as a father. "I hope Horatio prepares him a strong drink!"

"You can count on it!" Charlie said.

"Any way I could get you to lend Horatio to me buddy?" Don teased.

Charlie laughed "In your dreams!"The mathematician had started to rely on the man, and liked how he had become a huge help to Alan.

Back at the Eppes House, Larry said "I need to get back to Cal Sci." He just remembered that he had a seminar.

Alan suggested. "Let me drive you"

Larry waved him off "That's not necessary!"

"I insist"

"Fine.." Larry agreed,and then added "but could we get a pregnancy test on the way?" The drinks had made him decide to just confront the issue and face the truth.

"Well" Alan was hesitant about that. "Okay"

So, they went to a supermarket together. Larry looked at various brands, as Alan noticed two teenagers staring and laughing at them. He made his sternest face, and they left sheepishly.

"These tests consist of urinating into a stick!" Larry exclaimed in surprie

"What can you do?" Alan shrugged.

"Which brand should I buy?"

"I don't know, Larry, these didn't exist when I was young enough to have kids"

"Look at this! This brand claims ninety nine percent accuracy!"

Finally, Larry decided on a brand, and the two men went on their way to CalSci.

TBC


End file.
